I don't remember seeing, and didn't find in search, a thread about rock climbing... so...

I can't be the only climber on the boards! Let's have a place to talk about it... interesting climbs, goals, gear, etc.

I've climbed off and on for many years, but have been climbing consistently for about 1.5 years now. I mostly hated exercise until I started climbing, but it doesn't feel like exercise. It's social! It's a mental puzzle! I boulder a tiny bit, but mostly TR or sport. I get outside when I can, but I'm lucky to have a huge indoor gym close to home that I can get to 2-3 times a week.

I need to get a larger travel backpack, adding harness/shoes/chalk to what was already a strategically packed bag has been difficult, but I can't imagine traveling and not climbing. I got my mom to climb with me when I visited my parents (she worked her way up a 5.7 then did a couple of 5.6s, go mom) and I can always find partners in any city, it seems!

Maygles and I started indoor climbing last fall and we're hooked! We go to the gym 3-4 times a week, doing a little more toproping than bouldering but we like both. I got my first 5.11b/c on Monday and have just started getting V4s. Woo!

We've only done outdoor climbing once so far but we really liked it and plan to go again in a couple weeks.

_________________Like the beleaguered people of sub-Saharan Africa, I'll just go to Denny's. Solidarity!-mumbles

I got my first 5.11b/c on Monday and have just started getting V4s. Woo!

That's awesome! I've only recently got 5.11s... I'm working on a 5.11d, I made it up yesterday but it was sloppy. I use bouldering as a way to tire myself out after TR, so usually a couple of V1-V2 routes. Maybe I'll try just bouldering one day and see how that goes. The boulderers are a fun group of people, more social than over in the TR section.

I wish I could go 3-4 times a week, it's hard to get there 2 times some weeks.

5.11d! Nice! From what I understand, California grading (or at least my gym's) tends to be a bit softer than other parts of the country. When I went home to Dallas for xmas, everything was at least one level harder than I would have expected. (I had trouble getting V2s there).

We're lucky that we're members of a chain that has a location fairly in easy biking distance to our apartment and another one right by our workplaces.

_________________Like the beleaguered people of sub-Saharan Africa, I'll just go to Denny's. Solidarity!-mumbles

I can't wait until it warms up so that I can get to the gym easier (I need motorcycle weather, I'm stuck on public transport now). I went climbing the other day and did a bunch of 5.11a-c! I'm going tomorrow and might try a 5.12!! I'll have to see how I feel, I can at least give it a go.

I've noticed some variation between gyms. I've heard that gyms try to rate the indoor stuff similar to how the outdoor climbs nearby are rated. I'd say that is true here. I'm not sure about elsewhere. I climbed super well in Vancouver since the climbs were rated easy (I was doing 5.10s easy there when I could barely get up them at my gym). Portland and Omaha seemed to be rated simliar to Boston.

Yeah, I kind of expected there to be a couple more people too. I guess you have to go to a vegan fitness board to find that stuff. Speaking of which, have you heard of this amazing female vegan climber?

Congrats on the 11c! I did my first 11b/c a couple times this week. It felt good though I still haven't managed to do it without a fall. It's also not too overhangy which makes a big difference for me.

Do you do lead climbing Pi? A friend of mine does and is supposed to teach me sometime soon. I'm hoping to go outdoor toproping with him sometime this weekend if the weather holds.

_________________Like the beleaguered people of sub-Saharan Africa, I'll just go to Denny's. Solidarity!-mumbles

Pi., when you mentioned climbs being rated easy in Vancouver, were you talking about the one in Washington or the one in BC?

I used to climb about once a week, but I moved to a different city almost a year ago so I lost my climbing partner. I never got past a 5.10b, though I was pretty happy with that at the time. If I ever get into the 5.11s like you two, I'll be absolutely ecstatic.

There's an all-bouldering gym in town that I tried last week and I'm thinking of getting a membership there.

I know nothing about rock climbing but my husband is just starting to take it up as a hobby. He has been to the gym once and went bouldering a few times. Sadly he is not on the PPK! He is having a hard time finding people in our area that he can climb with. When he went to the gym he had to take one of our friends with him because he wanted to take a belay lesson and the people who work at the gym won't or can't partner you. Which I think is kind of crappy. And he has bought some beginner equipment and wanted to use his own belay stuff and they wouldn't let him. I don't know what it is called but they basically said he had to use their stuff because it's safer. He was a bit miffed after his first experience at the gym!

And he has bought some beginner equipment and wanted to use his own belay stuff and they wouldn't let him. I don't know what it is called but they basically said he had to use their stuff because it's safer. He was a bit miffed after his first experience at the gym!

Is there another gym he can try? Maybe if he called around he could find a gym that would let him use his own equipment. I've only tried a few gyms, but in one of them everyone except for the kids used their own belay devices.

I think he looked into other gyms. He wanted to have them teach him how to use the belay device he bought. But they said they weren't allowed and that they can only let people use their belay system which isn't what anyone would be using in the real world, ya know? It would be helpful if I knew the real terms to give you guys! But basically he paid for the belay class so he could learn how to properly belay and they kind of stopped that from happening to a certain extent.

I went to a gym in Dallas that was like that. Every rope already had an autolocking belay device attached which probably decreases their liability and makes it easier for newbies to get started. I would be annoyed too if the gyms here were like that.

_________________Like the beleaguered people of sub-Saharan Africa, I'll just go to Denny's. Solidarity!-mumbles

Tried a 5.12 today! I only made it 2 moves, so I'll try again when I'm less hungover. But it's nice to have a challenge since I'm getting up 5.11s without falling more often.

broseph wrote:

Pi., when you mentioned climbs being rated easy in Vancouver, were you talking about the one in Washington or the one in BC?

Sorry! I forget WA has a Vancouver. I was talking about the Vancouver in BC. I think next time I'm in Van I'll just go to the bouldering gym... I didn't really love the vibe of the climbing gym.

vegimator wrote:

Do you do lead climbing Pi? A friend of mine does and is supposed to teach me sometime soon. I'm hoping to go outdoor toproping with him sometime this weekend if the weather holds.

I've done some lead climbing. I really like it but it's harder to find a partner (who isn't way bigger than me and that I trust for lead). BUT I found a lead partner today at the gym, so I can get back to it!! I have gear for some basic outdoor sport climbing. I love to climb outdoors when it is nice.

GraciaKai wrote:

And he has bought some beginner equipment and wanted to use his own belay stuff and they wouldn't let him.

My gym makes you learn with an ATC (simple belay device) but after you pass the belay test you can use whatever type of belay thing you want. I'm not sure if they will teach you how to use different ones, but there is a poster up about how to use a grigri, so I'd guess they will.

Sorry! I forget WA has a Vancouver. I was talking about the Vancouver in BC. I think next time I'm in Van I'll just go to the bouldering gym... I didn't really love the vibe of the climbing gym.

I had the same feeling about that gym. It was a bit too crowded and I felt like there were too many routes competing for wall space. Also, I agree that the routes did seem to be graded easier than those out east.

Next time you're in Van, you should do a call out for climbers in the Vancouver thread. I'd come out for some bouldering and Pistachiorose has expressed some interest in it too.

Well done! I tried my first 11d yesterday but was taking so long with it that I gave up. I'm getting better at the couple 11.b/cs I've been doing though. I watched some of the ABS semi-finals online today. (http://climbingnarc.com/2013/02/live-fr ... mi-finals/) Inspiring stuff!

Also, check out this insane route that just went up at a bouldering gym that's opening in SF soon -http://vimeo.com/60138493

_________________Like the beleaguered people of sub-Saharan Africa, I'll just go to Denny's. Solidarity!-mumbles

Yay a climbing thread! I go bouldering once a week at a gym here, but I learned climbing years ago outdoor and still miss the real rocks. Unfortunately here the mountains are too far (and the weather too unstable) to allow for outdoor climbing, so bouldering it is.At my best I climbed some 6a+, which in the US would be 5.10b. The bouldering gym I go to uses the French grading system for boulders too, although I'd never seen it used in other places. With bouldering nowadays I'm doing 5cs, some 6as, which make me reasonably happy!

_________________I dunno, I guess I just get enthused over eating big ol' squishy balls. - Interrobang?!

Oh boo, I didn't realize the ones in Vancouver were graded easier. I used to climb a fair amount at Cliffhanger Coquitlam, but it quickly became a financial impossibility. When I have a job, I'd love to get back into it.

I had a 'taster' session at my local climbing centre the other night. It's something I'd always wanted to try but I was disappointed to find that I was actually terrified once I got more than a few feet off the ground. I'm not scared of heights at all so I'm not really sure why I was so apprehensive when I got up there!

Anyone got any tips for overcoming climbing fears? I'd really like to give it another try!

I've sort of been climbing for five years. Though mangled my shoulder and took off two and a half years, had two surgeries and put on about 30 pounds of fat so I am way out of shape. That said I started going to the gym three or four days a week about a month ago, and I am working my way back. I will be up at the Gunks a lot this year since it is relatively close (hour and a half) and a friend has land near there and we've been building a house on it.

I had a 'taster' session at my local climbing centre the other night. It's something I'd always wanted to try but I was disappointed to find that I was actually terrified once I got more than a few feet off the ground. I'm not scared of heights at all so I'm not really sure why I was so apprehensive when I got up there!

Anyone got any tips for overcoming climbing fears? I'd really like to give it another try!

Be belayed by someone you really trust, and learn to trust your equipment and belaying partner.

_________________Some woopiter from Jupiter then says, and I quote: "That can't be true because I read otherwise online. Just look on Youtube." - torque

I did some lead climbing yesterday! It was awesome, but I need to build up more endurance. I managed to do 2 5.8s and 2 5.9s, but 2 of the 4 I didn't get the top clip so I got a couple of fun falls! I'm SO looking forward to doing way more! We did a lot of TR too, but the lead climbing was the exciting stuff.

I'd forgot how much more work it is to belay for lead! I need to practice that a lot more before I do much outside. It doesn't help that most people I climb with outweigh me by quite a bit so I have to keep in mind that I will fly WAY up if/when they fall in addition to feeding/taking rope.

I watch one of the top young (or maybe just top) climbers in the world train all the time. Ashima Shiriashi is a member of my gym and learned to climb there It is unbelievable watching some of the stuff she does, and she never seems to sweat or get tired. http://climbing-video-watch.blogspot.co ... youth.htmlMy shoulder is still weak for bouldering, or climbing anything that is an overhang. I can climb 5.10b/c if they are vertical, but a 5.7 is tough if it is past vertical.